The first time I used a massage gun was about 2 years ago and it was truly a life-changing moment. Ok, maybe it sounds a little dramatic but those of you who have muscle pain, may know what I’m talking about.
Hard to explain how it feels, but think of it as a combination of deep tissue massage with a laser gun, all combined into one portable device that you can take with you anywhere. It’s the good pain that makes you smile.
Anyway, if you’re like many of us you want to speed up your recovery. Why? The faster you recover the harder you you can workout. If you’re into a holistic approach to fitness then you’ll want to consider adding a massage gun to your fitness gear, but if you aren’t able to obtain one then an alternative would be to schedule appointments for deep tissue massage therapy.
First, let’s review why you should consider getting a massage gun.
Below are the top five benefits of a massage gun that you should consider:
1. Sports Performance, Injury Prevention, and Recovery
Massage gun therapy (it’s an old saying I just made up) helps improve the muscle contraction, which results in the lengthening and strengthening of the muscles and fascia tissues and should be added to your post-workout routine along with stretching. BTW, making massage therapy part of your lifestyle is a great way to relieve stress. With every MGT (Massage Gun Therapy), fluids and tension are released within the deep muscles and this results in improved circulation, as the blood and tissue cells exchange nutrients and oxygen, therefore increasing blood circulation throughout the body speeding up repair and recovery.
2. Rehabilitation
Massage is known to be one of the most effective forms of injury rehabilitation therapy, as it not only speeds up the recovery process but also prevents re-injury. Massage guns work as a supplement to the standard injury rehabilitation process and encourage healing and recovery of atrophied muscles due to trauma or disease. Improved circulation into the muscles and fascial tissues helps the injured areas to become more flexible and heal within a short time. Those who sustained sports-related foot injuries may need a professional sport injury treatment like prp injections, etc.
3. Release Lactic Acid
Lactic acid forms when the oxygen levels in the body are low and the body begins to compensate for it by converting newly formed lactate into energy. This often happens during intense exercise and the lactic acid tends to build up in the bloodstream faster than it can burn off. This could make you feel exhausted, nauseated and have cramp feelings in your muscles. A massage gun can reverse this, as it helps the release of lactic acid and other toxins from the muscles to surrounding tissues. This will help reduce the risk of muscle soreness that often comes after a prolonged exertion due to lactic acid accumulation.
4. Increases Lymphatic Flow
Massage guns provide deep tissue massage, which increases the rate of blood flow and stimulates the nerve receptors responsible for dilating blood vessels. The lymph works to remove waste and toxins from the bodily tissues and the flow is controlled by muscle contractions; this means less active people might not be stimulating enough lymph circulation while very active people might be accumulating too much of it. This may result in lymphedema if not controlled. However, with a massage gun, you can create a balance, as it helps improve circulation throughout the lymphatic system.
5. Relieves Muscle Spasms and Scar Tissue
Massage guns can help relieve muscle spasms and stiffness that may arise from an intense workout. The muscle spasm often leads to ischemia in the muscles, which means the muscle is lacking proper blood flow. This could result in spasms that are painful to the touch. The massage gun works by applying pressure to the muscle, tendons, and ligaments to help them become relaxed, thereby reducing spasms and painful contractions.
Scar tissue is made up of collagen fibers that help with the repair of damaged fibers in the body. However, the elasticity of the tissues does not measure up with the natural muscle tissues of the body. Massage guns provide deep tissue massage, which will help break down these scar tissues, thereby alleviating pain and relieving restriction. You can use massage guns not only for sports injuries but also for post-surgery scar tissues.
6. Portable
Massage guns are portable and have a long battery life. That makes them the perfect gift as well as the perfect travel companion when traveling for business or competition.
1. THERAGUN G3PRO
2. Timtam Massager Pro
TimTam is another well-known brand that been there since the early massage gun days. Their power massager pro features a 175-degree adjustable head with 30mm stroke length. And the biggest advantage is the heated tip (not a big deal, but nice to have). Why it got only a 6.8 score from us? Something just doesn’t feel right while using it. Seems like there’s some kind of issue with the ergonomics, especially if you use it for over 10 minutes, and also the short battery time.
3.BF Hyper Drive
The BF Hyper Drive is a great gift for anyone including yourself. To be honest, if you’re looking for a nice low cost massage gun for the office or just to relax with at the end of the day, BF Hyper Drive is the one for you. I love it that you can simply charge it with a USB cable and it’s super lightweight so you won’t even notice it in your backpack. It’s not as powerful as our first 4, but it’s not that bad. Definitely worth the low price.
